Albert Einstein’s ‘God letter’ expected to sell for $1.5m

Image copyrightReutersImage caption The letter is regarded as a clear statement of Einstein’s religious beliefs

A handwritten letter by Albert Einstein in which he grapples with the concept of religion is being auctioned in New York on Tuesday.

The so-called “God letter” was written in 1954 and is expected to fetch up to $1.5 million (£1.2m).

The Nobel Prize-winning scientist, then 74, wrote the one-and-a-half page note to German philosopher Eric Gutkind in response to one of his works.

It is seen as a key statement in the debate between science and religion.

“This remarkably candid, private letter was written a year before Einstein’s death and remains the most fully articulated expression of his religious and philosophical views,” a statement from the auction house says.